Thrust-bearing.



No. 889,885. PATENTED JAN. 1 1907.

T. S. PATTERSON.

THRUST BEARING.

APPLIOATION FILED MAYA, 1905.

71151185565 Im/e nli or UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS S. PATTERSON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO THE OIL AND WASTE SAVING MACHINE COMPANY, A CORPORATIONOF PENNSYLVANIA.

. THRUST-BEARING- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 1, 1907.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS S. PATTER- soN, a citizen of the Dominion ofCanada, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia andState of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Thrust-Bearings, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in thrust-bearings; and the mainobject of my invention is the provision of a novel construction ofthrust bearing in which the rolling contacts are so mounted or retainedbetween two plates that their points of contactthat is, of each rollingcontact with the bearing-plates above and below-are a different distancefrom the center of the shaft or of the retaining-plates, and the platesare of such size as to be guided by the walls of the casing. By ihismeans it will be seen that no ridges 0r grooves will be formed by thecontact of the rolling contacts upon the bearing-plates, as eachseparate ball or rolling contact has its own raceway in which to run.

To attain these objects, the invention consists of a new and novelconstruction of ballretainer, as will be hereinafter set forth. I

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical central sectionalview of the bearing-plates with my invention in use in connectiontherewith. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail sectional view through theball-re tainer. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the ballretainer.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the upperbearing-plate, 2 the lower bearing-plate, and 3 a spindle which iscarried by the upper bearing-plate to support the main spindle 3 Mountedin the space between the plates and adapted to have their peripheraledges slightly in contact with the walls 4 of the casing 5 are theretainingplates 6. The peripheral edges of the plate 6 are adapted to beslightly in contact with the walls, for the reason that the walls willproperly guide the plate within the same so that it does not wabble orslide from side to side as the bearings are in use. I have found inpractice that the friction is so slight between the edges of the plateand the walls as not to impair the usefulness of the bearing. Theseretainer-plates 6 are secured together by means of the rivets or posts 7and 7 the posts 7 being nearest the center of each of said plates. Theseplates are provided with series of openings 8 at different distancesfrom the center, so that when the balls or rolling contacts 9 are heldin place between the plates their contacting surfaces will projectthrough said openings, and thus contact the bearing-plates 1 and 2, therespective contact-point of each ball or rolling contact being at adifferent radius from the center of the bearing-plates, so that eachball has its independent raceway between said plates 1 and 2.

From the foregoing description it is evident that I have invented athrust-bearing in which the rolling contacts are so distributed betweena retainer as to be at all times held in such a position as to have anindependent raceway for each rolling contact, and thus avoid the greatdanger as is generally occasioned by all of the rolling contacts orballs running in the same line between the bearing-plates, thecontacting of the peripheral edges of the plates 6 with the walls of thecasing, as above set forth, greatly assisting in keeping each ball orrolling contact in its respective raceway.

By placing the rolling contacts properly between the plates the weightupon the spindle 3 is evenly distributed, so that as it revolves theretaining-plates will also revolve, and thus by means of the rollingcontacts or balls the end thrust of said spindle is reduced to aminimum, while the bearingsurfaces are increased.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings,it is evident that I provide a new and novel form of thrust-bearingwhich is simple and durable in construction and which is thoroughlyefficient and practical in use.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a thrust-bearing, the combination with two bearing-plates, spacedapart, of two retaining-plates disposed between the bearing-plates,securing devices connecting the retaining plates and maintaining themspaced apart, said retaining-plates having alined openings, and ballslocated between the retainingplates, said balls projecting slightlythrough the openings in the retaining-plates and engaging thebearing-plates.

2. In a thrust-bearing, the combination with two bearing-plates spacedapart, of two retaining-plates located between the bearing plates, saidretaining-plates spaced apart, fastening devices passing from oneretainingplate to the other and holding them fixed relatively to eachother, each of said retainingplates having a number ofirregularly-arranged openings and the openings ofoneretaming-platedisposed in line with the openings of the other retaining-plate, andballs located between the retaining-plates, said balls projectingslightly through the openings of the retaining-plates and engaging thebearing-plates, each ball having a circular path against thebearing-plates out of line with and independent of the circular paths ofthe other balls.

3. In a thrust-bearing, the combination with a casing and bearing-platestherein, of retaining-plates disposed between the bearing-plates, saidretaining-plates being greater in diameter than the bearing-plates andhaving slight contact at their peripheral edges with the annular wall ofthe casing, and rolling bodies carried by said retaining-plates andengaging the bearing-plates.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS S. PATTERSON.

Witnesses:

ETHEL GUIsT, MARY B. IVIARR.

